SARVANGASANAM

By S. Ramaswami, Trustee, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram

Shirasasanamand its close ally Sarvangasanam,hold the pride of place among various asanas. Yoga teachets and practi t ioners , a n c i e n t a n d modern, have a lot to say about these postures. Even a novice .experiences the tonic effecta of Sarvangasana on starting the p r a c t i c e. Medical practitioners and researchers interssted in Yoga give considerable importance to theso asanas and study the effects on the whole system. One should include Sarvangasanam in the daily practice for sure. It is commonfknowledge that in the nofmal erect Pcsture, the main organs of Per' cption-ears, eyes and the brain do not get a copious supply of blood as they are si tuatod abov e t h e h e a r t . Again, when we breathe in normally, which is partly diaphragrnatic, the vital organs a s l i ve r, s pleen , k i d n e y s ,d i a phragm otc.. get pressed and displaced from their position -alboit, to a srnall extent, According to Yogic theofy. disease is due ro the displacement of vital internal organs a nd m u scle s a n d th e yo g ic pla:tice is resorted to to bring t h sm to th e ir o r ig in a l p o sitio n s. T h e Rish is h a ve so u g h t t o r e m e d y th is situ a tio n ,b y adopting rnany topsy turvy postures, of which Shirasas a n a a n d Sa r va n g a sa n a a r e the foremost. SARVANGASANAM a n d U rdhw aprasri tapadasana m a r e the tw o D ostures w hi ch p r eparethe body for S ards va n g a sanam.S arvangas:tna th e n a :ne.i mpl i es tones up al l csn tr es,nerves,organs, j oi nts a n d m uscl es. The techni que m e n tioned hereafteri s not for a b so lute begi nners, but for th o se w ho have practrsedthe a sa n a s manti oned i n the preva o u sissues and hJV e attai n e C a cettai n profi ci ency in stayi ng i n the postures with t he proper Y ogi c breath in g de;cri bed earl i eron.

It is o n e o f th s In o st cifficult postures as one has to prepare th body, especially the neck, before starting on t h e p r a ctice . Dwip a d a p e e ta m M ET H OD OLOGY ST EP 1

Lie flat on a soft mat, keepin g th e l egs stretched out, fce t together, ankl es cl ose, kn e e s togsther, pl ace t h e a r m s al on3 the body and enttr e p a l ms on the ground. ST EP 2 Exh ak'rg. sl ow l y rai se the le g s, pressi ng the pal ms and b a ck. neck and head, w i tho u t b e ndi ng the knees, unti l the legs from the hip are stfa ig h t up. Thi s i s U rdw aprasrita Padasanam. Stay there

tor a f ew br e a t i r s . T l r e n e x r r - fo r a t ie a st 5 m r n u te s. wh icir al i ng, rais e t h e l e g s f u r t h e l co u ld b e a ch ie ve d g r a d u a lly, up, lif t ing t h e h i p a n d r h e with p r a ctice . bac k f rom t h e g r o u n d . T h e b r e a th in g is th r o u g h STEP 3 th e th r o a t co n str ictio n wh ich p r o d u ce s a h issin g so u n d . W hen t he w h o l e t r u n k r s T h e r eis n o d e lib e r a tea tte m p t rais edand up , p l a c e t h e p a l m s to do retention of breath after behindt he b a c k , t h e r e b y s u p - in h a la tio n , b u t it m a y b e p ort ing t he b o d y w i t h t h e a tte m p te d a fte r e xh a la tio n . palm s . T he c h e s t i s p r e s s e d After some practice when agains t t he ch i n , w h i c h c o v - th e p o stu r e is ste a d y a n d ers t he nec k p i t , b e t w e e n t h e th e wa istlin e is b r o u g h t co llarbones ,t h e r e b ye n s u r i n g down to a better proportion, that the body is not tilted to one may attempt the Moolaei ther s ide. T h i s a l s o e n s u - b a n d h a a n d Ud d iya n a b a n d h a , res J alandh a r a b a n d h a . T h e wh o se b e n e ficia l e ffe cts a r e body is s t ra i g h t . A f t e r a f e w e n h a n ce d with th e h e lp o f breat hs ,adju s t t h e p a l m s a s g r a vr ty. l o w as poss i b l e , u n t i l , s a y they are s up p o r t i n g t h e f l o a After staying in the pjj!!r9 ti n g ribs . Th e e l b o w s s h o u l d fo r r e q u r r e d l n g th o f tim e , not be s Dr e a d f a r a n d t h e o n in h a la tio n , r e tu r n to sta r i d eal pos it io n i s t o k e e p t h e m tin g p o sitio n , with o u t r a isin g about t he s p a n o f t h e s h o u l - th e h e a d a n d in a r o llin g m o ders level. After a few more tio n . lt will b e n ice to fe e l breat hs ,s low l y a n d d e l i b e r a - th o str stch in g in e a ch o f th e tel y s t ret c h th e b a c k , t h e s p i ne, hip, t hrg h a n d c a l f m u s c l e s , t he rel a x e d k n e e s , t h e ank les and th e f e e t s o t h a t the t oes are a l s o p o i n t e d . T h e eye s are c los e d a n d t h e v i s i on is direc t e d t o w a r d s t h e mi d dle of t he e y e b r o w s ( B h r umadhy a dr i s h t i ) . T h i s i s Sarvangasana(Refer to sketch 1). lt is be t t e r t o k e e p t h o ful l f ac e ot t h e p a l m s o n t h e back (Refer Sketch 2) rather than holding t h e s i d e o f t h e ri p s wit h t he t h u m b p r e s s i n g i n as is t he n o r m a l p r a c t i c e and t c ndenc y . O n e s h o u l d attempt to stay in thB posture

vertebrae as one relurns to th e starti ng poi nt. BEN E FTITS Sarvangasana tones up tho system, and many who start th e practi ce of thi s asana feel its benefi ci aleffects, w i thi n a shortti me. One statts feeling light, joints become su ppl e and muscl es are i n better tone, all round, Its effects on the thyroid and parathyroid have been a matter of study, snd is of considerabl e hel p to cenai n case s of hypothyroi di sm. There is a good return of venous blood to the heart and there is a significant drop in the blood pressure in the legs after 5 minutes of practics. T h e neck and back get a. copious supply ofl blood. People suffering f rom respiralory ailments. especially Asthma and brochitis respo n d w el l to S arvangasanam. A,medi cal doctor has hypoth esi sed i hat the oosutre i f d o ne for up to 3 mi nutes or so, seems to help act as b r onchodi l ator. Further,due to gravity, there is a bettr d r ai ni ng of bronchi al secfeti o n s and i t hel ps rel i eve greatly those suffsring from sin usi ti s and bronchi al congestion. _ The cerebro spi nal fl ui d cir c ul ati on.i s i ncreased, and h e ncc.therei s al l round toni -

ng up of the entile nryous also could be exicised with gravity and the Bandhas. The Sygtem. It keepsthe spin supple, jo in ts a n d th e stu b b u r n h ip and when done with t h e lo ln ls o e co m e su p p le ltn co u vinyasas, the spins could be rse of time. Some of rhe sxofcisedto tho tull6st xtent. important variations tend to As mentioned. thyroid gland enhance the etfects of Sarvandits atte- angasana. A few are mentiis well massaged rial supply enhanced. The oned below. gland improvesits functional capacitywithin healthylimhs NIRATAMBA SARVAN. ate GASANAM and its internalsecretions important for the propermetAfter remaining in Sarvanabolism and growth of the body. The larynxalso gets g a sa n afo r so m e tim e , slo wly massagedand it could be exhale and by gently taking that the asthamagenicarea the legs a little further, raise belowthe glonis is exercised both the arms. Stay tor a few and gets normalised. The breaths. One should gaze at sympatheticand the entire the middle of the eyebrows. spinalcord aretoned up. The T h e a r m ssh o u ld b e str e lch e d , bloodsupplyto the chest,and so a lso th e le g s. Re fe r t h e organs is increa se d.sketch 3. Varicosevsins tend to disThis Asana helpsto corroct appear.lt has tonic effect on the testes,ovaries and pelvis indigestion and reduce waist by rernovl of congstion. lin e . Acco r d in g to o u r Ach intestinal also a r ya , if o n e co u ld p r a cticeth is Gastro diseases aro troatod. Liverand splean lato in the svening for fifteen
m in u te s. o n e will g e t in so m n ia cu r e d a n d will e n jo y g o o d sleep. People who are on their feet for a long timesportsmenand atheletes-will feel the asana exceedingly so o th in g . Pr e g n e n two m a n may do this up to the end of lirst lrimstr. Those who suffer from frequent nocturnal emissions would also benelit. URDHWAPADMASANAM After remaining in Sarvangasana, slowly exhale. and le g m u scle s.th eslu g g ishkn e e

p lacethe l eftfooton the ri ght g r oi n and then the ri ght foot on to the left. stretch the crossed legs straight up and stretch the back and pelvic ragion. Do a few breaths. Reler Sketch (4). Repeat with fle x i ng tha ri ght knee fi rst, PIND A S A N A M Proceed ltom Urdhwapadmasanam. O n exhalation. the b e nd and l ow er l egs from the cr ossed h r ps tow ard and then over ih e head. S l ow l y rel easethe hands from the back and clasP th o crossed l egs, gri ppi ng

one wrist with the other.Tne is Pindasana or Foetus pose Refer to sketch(5). These two asanas make use of the gravity effect on the knees andhip, which may not be the case in normal uprightposition. Thepadmasana and the subsequent

bending to Pindasanahelp p t e d o n l y a f t e r o n e f e e l e work on the spine,back and steadyin Sarvangasanam and the stomach further. The Niralamba Sarvangasanam. benefitsmentionod for Sarvangas anaar e enhanc ed. Shirsasana and SarvangaBreathwill be short,but after sanaare to yoga as are head 'it some time will stabitiss. and heart to an individual. These are fairly advanced Yes, they improve physical postures and.msybe attem- and mentalwell being.

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